Joshua Borths is a stage director, writer, educator, and arts administrator with over twelve years of experience in the opera industry. He has directed dozens of professional productions, given over five hundred public lectures, and written more than eight children’s operas that have introduced hundreds of thousands of young audiences to opera across the country.
Originally from Cincinnati, OH, Borths is currently the Director of Opera Theatre at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA and the Company Dramaturg at Des Moines Metro Opera. Borths comes to Virginia after having served as the Resident Scholar at Virginia Opera, Director of Opera & Musical Theater and Professor of Music History at Capital University in Columbus, OH, and as Director of Education at Arizona Opera.
Past favorites include directing productions of The Falling and the Rising and Beauty and the Beast for Des Moines Metro Opera; Rusalka, Florencia en el Amazonas, and Il barbiere di Siviglia for Arizona Opera; Hansel and Gretel and The Tragedy of Carmen for Opera Memphis; Madama Butterfly at Pensacola Opera, La clemenza di Tito for the University of Maryland, Suor Angelica for Crested Butte Music Festival, and L’elisir d’amore for Opera Las Vegas. As a stage director of musical theatre, Borths has directed Parade; Camelot; Kiss Me, Kate; and The Music Man.
Borths holds undergraduate degrees from the University of Michigan, and a masters degree in Opera Production from Florida State University.